Back To My Roots, Lauren Alaina & Building Independently | Ashley Kutcher
Ashley Kutcher joined Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza during CMA Fest 2026 to talk about her double album Back To My Roots & These Roots Run Deep, building an independent career, leaving nursing for music, and preparing to hit the road with Lauren Alaina.
With more than 129 million Spotify streams and songs like “Love You From A Distance” connecting with listeners around the world, Ashley has built an audience through deeply personal songwriting. Now she's entering another chapter—one that gives her more control over the music she makes and how she releases it.
Ashley Kutcher opens up about Back To My Roots & These Roots Run Deep, personal songwriting and taking control of the next chapter of her career.
Going Back to Her Roots
Back To My Roots & These Roots Run Deep represents two sides of Ashley's story.
During her Heart of the Gulch interview, Ashley explains the creative thinking behind the double album and how the project reflects both where she's been and who she's becoming.
That personal approach extends into her songwriting process. Sometimes that means sitting alone with an idea. Other times it means stepping into a Nashville writing room and allowing collaborators to take a song somewhere unexpected.
Not every song makes the album, either.
Ashley opens up about the songs left behind and the decisions that ultimately determine which pieces of her life become part of a finished project.
From Nursing to Music Full-Time
Before millions of streams and touring, Ashley was pursuing an entirely different career.
She studied nursing before ultimately making the decision to chase music full-time.
It was a major leap, but “Love You From A Distance” helped change the trajectory of her career as listeners began discovering her music online.
Ashley reflects on that transition and the uncertainty that comes with choosing an unconventional path—something she now draws from when offering advice to other aspiring singer-songwriters.
Heart of the Gulch host Tony Mendoza sits down with Ashley Kutcher during CMA Fest 2026 to talk music, independence, touring and knowing your worth.
Building a Career Independently
Ashley is now navigating another transition: building and releasing music as an independent artist.
Without a traditional label structure behind every decision, independence brings freedom—but also responsibility.
Ashley talks about building the right team, releasing music on her own terms and learning how much work happens away from the microphone.
That independence has also forced her to think seriously about her value as an artist.
One of the biggest lessons she's learned is simple: know your worth.
Whether negotiating opportunities, choosing collaborators or deciding which direction to take her music, confidence has become an important part of protecting the career she's building.
CMA Fest and Falling in Love With the Stage
CMA Fest 2026 gave Ashley another first: performing at the festival on the Wrangler Stage.
For an artist known for intimate and emotionally vulnerable songwriting, live performance offers a different kind of connection.
Ashley says performing remains her favorite part of being an artist.
Songs written from deeply personal experiences eventually stop belonging solely to the songwriter. Once fans attach their own memories, relationships and experiences to them, those songs begin taking on entirely new meanings.
For Ashley, seeing that happen in real time is difficult to replicate anywhere else.
Hitting the Road With Lauren Alaina
The next chapter will also put Ashley in front of new audiences as she prepares to join Lauren Alaina on the Stages Tour.
Touring isn't only about playing the show.
Ashley talks about travel planning, life on the road and even the diners and brunch spots that become part of the experience when you're constantly moving between cities.
She also explains why touring alongside other artists provides opportunities to learn simply by watching how they perform, interact with fans and operate their careers.
Ashley Kutcher reflects on leaving nursing for music, reaching millions of listeners and preparing to tour with Lauren Alaina.
Self-Doubt and Trusting the Process
Streaming numbers don't make insecurity disappear.
Ashley gets candid about self-doubt, confidence and learning to trust a career that doesn't always move according to plan.
The connection she's built with fans helps put that uncertainty into perspective.
Whether it's hearing how someone connected with a song or receiving a meaningful gift from a listener, those moments remind Ashley that deeply personal songwriting can reach far beyond the person who originally wrote it.
From nursing school to more than 129 million Spotify streams, Ashley Kutcher's career hasn't followed a conventional roadmap.
And now, with Back To My Roots & These Roots Run Deep, an independent career and new tour dates ahead, she's building the next part of that journey on her own terms.
Watch Ashley Kutcher on Heart of the Gulch
Watch the full Ashley Kutcher interview from CMA Fest 2026 as she joins Tony Mendoza to discuss Back To My Roots & These Roots Run Deep, “Love You From A Distance,” leaving nursing for music, becoming an independent artist, performing at CMA Fest and touring with Lauren Alaina.
Interview Chapters
0:00 — Ashley Kutcher Interview | CMA Fest 2026
0:42 — The Story Behind Back To My Roots & These Roots Run Deep
1:25 — Writing Alone vs. Co-Writing in Nashville
2:20 — Why Performing Live Is Ashley Kutcher's Favorite Part of Music
3:07 — When a Song Becomes the Fans' Song
3:34 — Songs That Never Made the Album
4:17 — Ashley Kutcher's First CMA Fest Performance
4:59 — From Nursing to Country Music Success
5:43 — Advice for Aspiring Singer-Songwriters
6:42 — The Meaning Behind Play Responsibly
7:51 — Independent Artist Life & Releasing Music Without a Label
8:23 — The Colors Behind Ashley Kutcher's New Album
9:10 — Life on the Road, Touring & Travel Planning
10:40 — Favorite Diners, Brunch Spots & Tour Life
11:51 — Opening for Lauren Alaina on the Stages Tour
12:47 — What Ashley Kutcher Learns From Other Artists
13:42 — Knowing Your Worth in the Music Industry
15:13 — How Fans Connect to Ashley Kutcher's Songs
16:19 — The Most Meaningful Fan Gift She's Ever Received
17:12 — Self-Doubt, Confidence & Trusting the Process
19:06 — New Album, Tour Dates & What's Next in 2026
Tony Mendoza and Ashley Kutcher together following her Heart of the Gulch interview during CMA Fest 2026 in Nashville.
Tony Mendoza is the Nashville-based host and creator of Heart of the Gulch, featuring conversations with country artists, songwriters and personalities from Nashville and beyond.
